Territory



.(No Model.) I I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 1 F.- M. STANLEY.

' UAR COUPLING.

. O. 490,515} Patented Jan. 24, 1893.

WITNESSES INVENTOH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

F. MQSTANLBY.

I UAR COUPLING.

No. 490,515. Patented Jan, 24, 1893.

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INVENTOI? A 9- %(WD 5) I A TTOHIVEYS.

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FRANK M. STANLEY, OF GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,515, dated January24, 1893.

Application filed April 7,1892. Serial No. 428,128. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FRANK M. STANLEY, of Guthrie, in the county ofLogan, in the Territory of Oklahoma, have in vented a new and usefulImprovement in Car Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel and efficient, cheapand durable car coupling, that will engage and interlock with a similarcoupling automatically and be adapted for detachment from the side ortop of a car; and furthermore, to provide a self-acting hose couplingwhich will couple its sec-' tions at the same time with the carcoupling, be held connected thereby, and be detached simultaneously withthe release of two car couplings having such attachments.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction of parts andtheir combination, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures. I

Figure 1 is a perspective View of two couplings having the improvementsin coupled adj ustment, and the coacting hose coupling sections thereonin a similar condition; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig.1, broken away to display the hose coupling below; Fig. 3 represents twoof the improved car couplings in perspective and detached; Fig. 4 is aside view of the two couplings shown in Fig. 3, in coupled adjustment;Fig. 5 is a front end view of one car coupling, a hose coupling section,car timbers that support these parts, and a transverse supporting platefor the hose coupling section broken away; Fig. 6 is an enlarged,broken, and detached detail of construction that is part of the carcoupling Fig. 7 is an enlarged, broken top view of one section of thehose coupling attachment, and a connecting part in section; and Fig. 8is an enlarged transverse section of parts on the line 8 in Fig. 7.

The drawhead of the coupling is formed with two parallel limbs or aspaced apart a proper distance by a transverse portion (1 One limb a, issloped on the top and bottom sides at the front end leaving the terminalblunt, the front end of the other limb a which secured, the thickness ofwhich taken together fills the space between the outer limbs. The pieceI) and block 0 lap upon the short limb a, sufficiently to permit them tobe secured in place by bolts or rivets d, that extend through the longerlimb (1, also, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The limbs a 0,, extensionpiece or limb b, and spacing block 0, are of equal thickness and width,so that a similarly formed drawhead will be adapted to enter itsextension limb 19, between a similar piece and the longer limb a of anengaged drawhead, their top and bottom edges corresponding with those ofthe latter, the extension limb having such a forward projection as willgive to the parts a, b, a length equal to the limb a, the free end ofthe extension limb being sloped on the top and bottom edges to shape itlike the limb a. At a proper distance from the ends of the limbs a at,these parts are transversely slotted as at e, in Fig. 1, said slotswhich are elongated longitudinally of the limbs and located near theircenter of width, being designed to receive a transverse bar f, that alsopenetrates the parallel string pieces A, of the car frame between whichthe coupling is thus held near the car end so as to project therefrom asindicated at the right side of Fig. 2. The cross barfis fastened to thestring pieces A, and loosely engages the limbs a a, the latter beinglaterally supported by the springs g, that are located between thestring pieces and limbs, centering the latter normally, free to yield inservice toward either side of the car, which is essential when a coupledtrain is running on a curve.

Between the nearest ends of the extension limb b, spacing block 0, andedge of the cross bar f, a buffer spring 71., is introduced, asimilarspring being secured between the other edge of the bar and thetransverse wall a of the drawhead, so that the latter will be cushionedagainst percussion and draft strain by the disposition of these springs.

Across the limbs a a of the drawhead at a proper distance from theirfront ends, a deep IOO looking groove 2' is formed in each limb so as toalign with each other, the use of which will be explained, said grooveson their front sides being laterally formed so as to produce overhanginglips or flanges i.

The coupling device provided fora detachable connection of two similardrawheads constructed as has been described, consists of a bail loophaving two limbs 7tintegrally joined by a transverse straight bar theends of the limbs having elongated enlargements 71: that are eachlongitudinallyslotted to receive and be secured to a box m placedloosely upon a rock shaft on, which is journaled in holes formed toreceive it in the limbs a, a, of the drawhead, and said shaft beinglaterally pro jected beyond the side of the car has a lever m,securedupon it near the outer end,which furnishes means to rock the shaft andlift or depress the coupling bail loop, that from its manner ofconnection with the shaft may be slid a limited distance longitudinally.The rock shaft m is so placed as to permit the portion 70', of thecoupling bail to freely enter the transverse grooves t in a similardrawhead when two cars having the improvement are to be coupled, and tothis end are made to approach so that the drawheads engage with eachother as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cross bar 70, interlocking belowthe lips i, when draftstrain is applied.

' On one drawhead of two that are to be coupled,a shaft n, istransversely and loosely secured, one end portion of which projectsbeyond the side of the car whereon the drawhead is sustained, a lever'12 affixed on this end of the rod enabling an operator to rotatablymove the shaft; and at a proper point there is a lifter arm a secured byone end upon the shaft 01, so as to allow it to project toward and hookbeneath a bail loop on another coupling and thus be adapted to lift thelatter from the locking groove t, if the shaft '21 is partly rotated ina proper direction.

Upon one limb 7i, of the coupling loop 70, 7s, a prop piece k islooselysuspended, near the junction of the limb with the cross bar 70,said link having a proper bend 7.0 formed in it to allow the prop pieceto swing freely. There is a plate spring 70 provided, which is securedupon the limb extension I), and projects forwardly above the bar it, ofthe coupling bail loop so as toprevent it from lifting too high, saidspring yielding enough to allow the loop to enter the transverse groovest', of an opposing drawhead. There is a finger piece or pad 91 formed onthe lifter arm 11 which rests upon the limb a of the drawhead andprevents an improper depression of the arm, which latter has its frontend curved downwardly and forwardly so as to adapt it to glide below thebar 7a of the coupling bail-loop when two couplings of the improved formare made to couple with each other. From the side of the pad n a rod orchain a is upwardly extended to be supported above on the car body (notshown) so that the same may be reached from the car roof andby draftupon it cause the elevation of the lifter arm n when two cars are to beuncoupled, a rocking movement of the lever 01, effecting the samepurpose from the side of the car.

Then two of the improved car couplings are made to approach each otherso as to be connected, the limb a on one drawhead will impinge upon thefront end of the shorter limb to of the other drawhead, the extensionbof the latter passing inwardly between thelimb a and portion 1) of thesimilar drawhead engaged thereby, the spacing blocks 0 providing roombetween the parts to permit such an engagement. And when the limbs a oneach drawhead collide with the limbs a, the shock sustained istransferred to the bu [fer springs and thereby neutralized. \Vhen twocars having this form of coupling are connected,the transverse portion70, of the coupling bailloop will be drawn below the lips or flanges 2',so that a secure coupling of two drawheads is afforded, to release whichrequires that the train be stopped and the loop slid forwardly.

Below two car couplings of the improved construction a half section 0 ofa hose coupling is supported on each car coupling as shown in Figs. 1and 2, these coupling sections having a longitudinal sliding engagementwith a bracket frame 19, that is secured below upon each drawhead andlaterally projected from the same so as to support the coupling sectionsin a position that will permit free access thereto if this is necessaryfor repairs. The hose coupling sections 0 are alike, and each consistsof a preferably rectangular elongated body having a lateral projection0, on one side, which projections are apertured to receive the frontends of the sections as indicated in Fig. 2, these ends being tapered onthe outer sides, and the apertures similarly shaped on the sides thatengage the sloped walls of the sections when these are slid together, sothat the act of bringing the two coupling sections into engagement willcause a faced joint on one section to bear upon a similar joint on theother section as at 0 in Fig. 2, and afford a steam or air tightjunction between the parts. From the lateral joints 0 there is an axialsteam or airpassage extended toward the rear of each hose couplingsection and laterally diverged at the rear end so as to tap the side andreceive the terminal of a flexible hose 0, which if designed to supplyair brakes, is led from a proper source of supply for air, thejunctionsalforded by the coupling sections rendering the line of hose continuousthroughout a train of cars.

Each hose coupling section 0, is provided with a longitudinallyextending guide rod 5, which is supported to slide through a bracket arm3, the rod having a central engagement with the rear end of the body itis extended from and aiding its support. There is a spiral spring t,placed upon each rod 3 which in1- pinges on the body of the couplingsection and also upon the arm s',so as to cushion the end thrust ofthebody when two coupling sections are brought together simultaneouslywith the engagement of car coupling drawheads upon which they aresupported.

The hose coupling sections '0, are each provided with a plug valve u,that is secured with an air or steam tight joint therein free to rotate.Said plugs are located transversely of the longitudinal passages 0 inthe coupling sections, and are perforated toregister therewith, and thusallow air or steam to traverse the passages when the plugs areproperlyadjusted to align their orifices with them.

Upon the projecting end portions of each of the plugs u, a tripping headi; is secured,

which is provided with two arms that are in v plug valve an abutment pin'0', is located which depends from the bracket frame 19, that supportsthe coupling section, the position of these pins shown in Figs. 4 and 5,plainly causing the plug valves to be adjusted to align their orificeswith the passages in the bodies 0, when the two sections of the hosecoupling are brought together, and the bail loop 75, It, of the carcoupling is interlocked with the groove in a coupled drawhead of anothercar coupling of the same kind, which will thus automatically openacontinuous passage for air through the line of hose.

The arm on the plug valve u, of a hose coupling section that has beenimpinged upon by the depending pin 12' to open a passage for air orsteam as stated, will be rocked into alignment with the body of thecoupling section,as shown in Fig. 2, and the other arm on the trippinghead be outwardly projected so that the pin will strike on thisprojected arm and rock it in the direction indicated by dotted lines inFig. 4, when the car couplings are released, and the hose couplingsections withdrawn from each other simultaneously with the separation ofthe car couplings; this Vibration of the arms on the plug valvesu,closing their orifices so as to seal the ends of the hose sectionswhen the hose coupling sections are detached from each other.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A drawhead comprising two parallel limbs,one olfset to produce anabutment shoulder at its outer end, and a spacing block between thelimbs, all secured together, substantially as described.

2. A drawhead comprising two integral parallel limbs, one shorter thanthe other, an extension limb lapped upon the inner side of the shorterlimb, and a spacing block between the latter and the extension limb, allsecured together, substantially as described.

3. A drawhead comprising two integral parallel limbs one shorter thanthe other, an extension limb lapped upon the shorter limb on its innerside, and a spacing block between the latter and the extension limb, allsecured together, the longer limb and extension limb being tapered atthe front end and both grooved transversely on the upper side near thefront end, substantially as described.

4. A'drawhead, comprising two integralparallel limbs, one shorter thanthe other, an extension limb lapped upon the inner side of the shorterlimb, and a spacing block between the latter and the extension limb, allsecured together, a bail loop pivoted in the limbs of the drawhead, andmeans for rocking the bail loop, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a drawhead constructed substantially asdescribed, of a supporting cross bar located in longitudinal slots inparallel limbs of the drawhead, and buffer springs adapted to cushionend thrust and draft strain on the drawhead, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a drawhead comprising parallel limbs tapered atthe front end, transversely grooved on top near the front end, and heldapart byaspacing block,

of a transverse rock shaft on the drawhead,

in limbs of a similar drawhead, aplate spring pressing the bail loop,and a lever on the end of the rock shaft, substantially as described.

FRANK M. STANLEY. Witnesses:

. FRANK REoToR, T. R. PALMER.

